Automatic call distributors (ACDs) are specialized call center systems designed to match incoming requests for service, for example a telephone call or an e-mail, with a resource that is able to provide that service, for example a human call center agent. ACDs generally perform one or more of the following functions: (i) recognize and answer incoming calls; (ii) review database(s) for instructions on what to do with a particular call; (iii) using these instructions, identify an appropriate agent and queue the call, often times providing a prerecorded message; and (iv) connect the call to an agent as soon as the agent is available.
Call Centers and associated ACDs record some or all conversations between agents and customers. Existing systems either record all conversations or provide agents and/or supervisors with the ability to initiate the recording. The resulting recordings may be used in the process of resolving future disputes regarding the nature of the agreements between agents and callers. The recorded sessions can also be used for coaching and training sessions.
Existing voice recognition software requires high computational complexity and provides mixed results as far as authenticating a caller beyond a reasonable doubt. For example, with all the computational power of the CIA, when a high priority target releases a voice message, the statement from the CIA is typically that the tape was “likely” to be recorded by the target. In addition, voice recording does not ensure that the recording provides a complete account of what had transpired without any edits.
Voice recognition and user verification systems for call centers are based on sophisticated digital signal processing algorithms. Digital signatures are used for authentication and non-repudiation of digital documentations. Steganography is a technique that takes one piece of information and hides it within another. Digital media (images, sounds recordings, even disks) often contains unused or insignificant areas of data. Steganography takes advantage of these areas, replacing them with information. The media can then be exchanged without anyone knowing what actually lies inside. Steganography can also be used to place a hidden trademark in images, music and software, a technique referred to as watermarking. There are many audio watermarking techniques available that use the principles of psychoacoustic masking to inaudibly embed a hidden data set within known data. The hidden data can be recovered from the embedded data by using a decoder algorithm.